A differential carrier of said type is known from DE 199 19 515 C2 wherein four wedge-shaped bearing arms for four differential gears are welded centrally to a cross member. The disadvantage of this design is that the arms have to be clamped into a suitable device and that, after the cross member has been welded, the arms have to be straightened. The costs of the welding operation applying said setting-up and straightening operations are disadvantageously high.
EP 0 864 779 A1 proposes a differential drive with four bearing arms for four differential gears. Two of the bearing arms have been produced in one piece and comprise a transverse bore. The two bearing arms extending perpendicularly relative to the one-piece bearing arm are inserted into the transverse bore by means of an inner first portion. The transition from the inserted first portion to the second portion carrying the differential gear is stepped so that there can occur a notch effect.
A similar differential drive with four bearing arms for four differential gears is known from DE 36 34 394 A1. The bearing arms comprise circumferentially distributed lubricating grooves for slidingly supporting the differential gears on the bearing arms. The bearing arms are received in radial bores in the differential carrier and held by a securing ring extending around the differential carrier.
DE 44 24 202 C1 describes a differential drive which, for actuating purposes, comprises a friction coupling arranged in the differential carrier.